Sept. 5, 2018 – Tukwila Teachers go on strike while the Tukwila Education Association and the Tukwila School Board further delay in coming to an agreement on salary and wages.

One can only wonder how this history would have been different if the education association and the board had opened their meetings to the public.

Think they would have come up with an agreement more quickly and effectively? You bet they would.

It’s frustrating for teachers when those in leadership who are supposed to be looking out for your best interests are keeping the negotiations secret and failing to make deals. Since the meetings are closed, public officials have much less accountability to the public, and the unions communicate much less with their members.

Teachers deserve a union that’s more clear and responsive.

In February, Jan Bolerjack, a Tukwila School Board member, complained that transparency would be too hard on the board.

During the session to repeal the open meeting policy, several community residents testified in favor of transparency. Christina Nueffer said, “A lack of transparency is always a product of self-interested parties.”

The Tukwila School Board is just more interested in protecting itself than being accountable to the public and those it represents.

In January 2017, the Pullman School District voted to approve a resolution to conduct collective bargaining negotiations in an open setting. This year, Pullman school is starting on time.

Meanwhile, students of Tukwila are still not in school while their school board sits behind closed doors failing to make a deal with the teacher’s union.

Teachers are on strike, but as the public, they don’t know what is happening behind closed doors. All they know is what they are told, talking points and hyperbole.

Tukwila students, parents and school teachers deserve stronger leadership than this. Perhaps they should be looking to Pullman where transparent negotiations led to a contract.

“I am a junior high teacher in California. I want to thank you for your website and the information I gleaned from it. I have decided to leave the teacher’s union due to ideological differences, and have discovered The Association of American Educators. I am very grateful. Keep up the good work!

— Jamie

“Keep up the great work. I received both the email and mailer to opt-out of the union; however had already done so. Your work is the first I had seen noting the option to opt-out. Of course the unions nor the State made any effort to notify employees of the option.”